Legions of Orion (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to the
construction of the first rift-generators that had been built with
pride by his team. In just seventeen years, the Alliance had made
massive strides in science, technology and exploration. The
ever-present Alliance Marines were stationed discreetly at the
entrances, though few expected trouble. The Prometheus research
facility was now one of the most heavily guarded and improved sites
in the entire Alliance.
    So, it is time.
    “ Very well, bring
them in,” h e said sternly.
    One of the marines
nodded and opened one of the small doors. In walked a small group
of the press, including representatives from both Prime and Terra
Nova, the two largest and most important planets in the Alliance.
Their camera crews moved into position, each closely monitored by
the marines. Admiral Anderson was no great fan of the press, but
even he knew the importance of such an event in the history of the
facility, the Alliance and humanity itself. He looked at the first
anchorwoman, a young woman probably in her early thirties. She wore
a stylish grey suit, and he was certain she was the head
anchorwoman for one of the Terra Nova networks. She nodded
fervently and pointed at the camera to her right, indicating they
were also ready. The Admiral took a deep breath and
smiled.
    “ Citizens of the
Alliance, t oday is an auspicious day for
all of us. In the seventeen years since the end of our terrible
hardship in the War, we have come a long way. The network now
exists between the major colonies, and trade and prosperity has
returned to the long-suffering parts of our fledgling Alliance.
This construction is the culmination of seven long years of work
and the first stage in our exploration of the stars. Hundreds of
years ago our ancestors launched colony ships on a generation’s
long journey to Alpha Centauri, now our home. With this first
exploratory Rift, we reach out and continue our
journey.”
    He turned
fro m the camera and nodded to his Chief
Engineer. The man moved several icons on his three-dimensional
display and activated a start-up sequence.
    “ Generators at full
power, Admiral.”
    A short distance
away, another dozen engineers manned their own stations. Each
called out and confirmed the status of their own equipment,
including the cooling and backup systems.
    “Cooling...check.”
    “Computer tracking...check.”
    “Security lock down protocol now
active.”
    The Chief engineer looked back to the
Admiral.
    “All system are go, Sir.”
    Admiral Anderson
paused just for a second before he gave
the order. The tests in the past had all been successful, but never
before had a rift been targeted at an unknown location. The
problems and potential dangers of creating a spacebridge with no
end location for connection had been considered a deadly risk. It
was only with the data recovered from the ruins on Hyperion seven
years earlier had it been considered even a possibility.
    “ Activate the
R ift,” he said as calmly as
possible.
    The Chief Engineer
returned to his system and entered his personal security clearance
and override to start the system. As with most pieces of advanced
technology, the actual final trigger was understated. No more than
a simple activate button on his display. He reached out to touch it
and could almost feel the eyes of billions burning into the back of
his head as he pressed the button. His fingertip touched the unit,
and around the room the screens changed colour, as the diagnostic
tools monitored the power and signal levels through the
unit.
    “Open them!” called out Admiral
Anderson.
    On cue, the entire
right-hand side of the large control room lit up as thick metal
shutters lowered down. Behind them was photoelectric glass, a
substance able to instantly respond to adverse lighting condition
in case of solar flares or other such problems. It only now became
apparent that they were all situated aboard the old Prometheus
Seven Trading Post. At almost two thousand meters in diameter, the
station now